Driving means for rolling doors



Nov. 30, 19248. N. MICHELMAN 2,45 ,880

DRIVING MEANS FOR ROLLI NG DOORS Filed Sept. 12, 1946 INVENTOR. NATHAN MICHELMAN I. l mm II II I ll il I! II I II II II II IIIUK 9 HISATT Patented Nov. 30, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DRIVING MEANS FOR ROLLING DOORS Nathan Michelman, New York, N. Y.

Application September 12, 1946, Serial No. 696,538

7 Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in the construction of rolling doors and is more specifically directed to the provision of a new and improved driving and control mechanism for rolling doors adapted to be wound upon and unwound from a drum located at the head of a doorway.

Rolling doors of considerable length and weight, such as are employed in factories, garages, and the like, are generally provided with a driving mechanism operated by an electric motor to facilitate the raising and the lowering of the door. Since, however, such power drive may occasionally break down, a manually operable driving mechanism is also incorporated in the structure. Usually, the two driving mechanisms are entirely independent and are operated through separate gearing means. The resulting structure is therefore complicated and expensive to manufacture.

Therefore I have devised a driving mechanism for operating a rolling door described and claimed in my U. S. Patent No. 2,390,117, granted December 4, 1945, which mechanism comprises power driving means and hand driving means adapted to operate a door through a common set of gears. In the said Patent No. 2,390,117 there are also described and claimed means for automatically shutting off the electric motor at the end of the downward or upward movement of the door, and means for braking the door shaft that are automatically actuated to braking position simultaneously with the shutting off of the electric motor as aforesaid.

The subject matter of this invention is an improvement in the rolling door construction of my aforementioned patent embodying a device for selectively actuating a gearing connected to the shaft of a rolling door from power driving means. or hand driving means, as desired.

In a rolling door, according to this invention, the auxiliary devices for shutting off the electric motor or for braking the door that has been described in my aforementioned patent, can be used adventageously in the same manner and with the same type of mechanical connection as set forth in said patent. However, such auxiliary devices have not been described here because they do not form a part of this invention, though they may be preferably used in connection therewith.

It is the general object of this invention to provide a rolling door structure wherein rotary driven means operatively connected to the rolling door driving shaft may be selectively actuated from a power drive or from a manual drive, as desired.

Another object is to provide a rolling door structure comprising power driving means and manual driving means adapted to operate the door through a common transmission which is selec- 2 tively connectable to either one of said driving means.

A further object is to provide a rolling door structure of the character and properties aforementioned, which structure is particularly simple and economical to manufacture.

A still further" object is to provide in a device of a character aforementioned safety means for preventing the power drive from becoming actuated accidentally or through inadvertence while the manual drive is connected.

A still further object is to provide a rolling door structure "of the character and properties aforementionedj'which embodies an electric motor and a single driven shaft operatively connected to the rolling door shaft, which driven shaft is actuable directly when the manual drive is connected and becomes the driving shaft.

Other related and ancillary objects of my invention will clearly appear as the description proceeds.

In the drawings;

Fig. 1 is' a front view of a device according to the invention, wherein the driving gear which connects the device to the shaft of the rolling door is indicated'in phantom lines;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the device of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of a detail of the device, showing the same with the hand drive disengaged.

Fig. 4 is a section similar to Fig. 3, but showing the hand device enga ed.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, I0 indicates generally a frame in which there are mounted the gearings ll, shown in phantom lines, which drivingly connect the driven shaft 13 to a shaft M of a. rolling door. Keyed to the shaft [3, as at 38, there is a pulley 15 which is operatively connected by means of triangular belt It to a pulley ll keyed to the shaft I8 of the rotor of an electric motor Hi. T e elements aforementioned together constitute the power drive for the rollingdoor.

On'the shaft l3 there is also mounted a sprocket '20, which is free on the shaft and slidable thereon in a longitudinal direction. A helical spring 2| surrounds the shaft 13 and is interposed between the pulley l5 and the sprocket 20 normally to hold the same apart. Attached to the frame Ill there are two brackets 22 upon which there is freely mounted a shaft 23 having a lever 24 keyed thereto at one end thereof. The end of the lever 24 is connected to a tension spring 25 attached to the frame It) at 26. A chain or other flexible element2l is also connected to the lever 24 and carries at the lower end thereof a ring 28 adapted to engage a hook 29 secured to the frame l0, but normally at a certain distance below the ring 28. The shaft 23 is centrally bent or cranked up at 30 to form a crank which passes above the shaft [3,

Attached below the bracket 22 there are arms 31 having guides 32 for a chain 33 which engages the sprocket 2Q.

Normally; thegalectric motor I 9*drives pulley, I and therefdrepdrives ,tlieerolling doonshaftf fl" 5 through the gearing ll. Since the pulley I 5 is fast to the shaft, the sprocket 20 is maintained. by the spring 2| as far from said pulley as it will go. In the case illustratedy'the sprocket bears against the crank 30. However, a collar .or 10... the like could be provided on the shaft'to limit the distance of the sprocket*from thepulley15 and stop the sprocket short of the crankBBl. At. any rate, there is no driving connection between sprocket Zfiandshaft l 3, or sprocket and pulley 15 I 5f Should the motor'stop' because" of power failure or any other reason, an operator may grasp thejchain 2'1," pull it downwardly and engage'the ring 28 into. the book 29 which will therefore hold the chain'in a lowered position. This latter 20' will hold the lever in a downswing position. Means equivalent to, but different from the chain-ringhook arrangement described could be employedto hold said lever "in its downswing position. During the downward swing of the lever,24, the following motions take place: The shaft23 rotates clockwise as viewed in Fig. 2.. The vcrank-illlswings downwardly, bears against the sprocket 20 andurges the same toward pulley I5co1'npressing the spring 2|. The sprocket 20 30 has formed in its hub on the end thereof facing the pulley 15a projection or tooth which can be provided by cutting down the hub except for a smallflportion thereof bordered by two radii. The pulley l5 has on its hub a corresponding projection or tooth 34 facing the sprocket 20. When the sprocket is moved to the right the cutdown portion of its hub will contact the tooth 35, while the cut-down portion ofthe hub of the pulley l5" will contact the tooth 35 teeth generally will not be in contact, but upon arelative rotation of less than one revolution of the sprocket 29 and pulley l5 in either direction said teeth will contact each other and the whole assembly will remain in such a relationship as shown in Fig. 4, as'long as the ring 28 stays engaged with the hook 29. Concurrently the arm 24 'or a projection thereof or a means operatively associated thereto bears on the button 36 of. a.

Switch which interruptsthe circuit of the 56 electric motor l9, and therefore assures that the saidmotor will not be started accidentally or bylinadvertence if power is restored or whatever failure causedthe stopping of the motor is repaired." The pulley l! remains engaged through 5'5 thebelt l6 with the pulley l5. If. now the chain 33is manually 'actuated'in one or theother di rection, the teeth 34 and 35 will come into con tact,if.they are not already, and thereafter the sprocket 20 will actuate the pulley I5 and thereforetherolling door and at the same time will causethe pulley H, the shaft I 8'andthe rotor ofthe electric motor I 9 to-rotate idly. A'roller or roller hearing or other device adapted to. minimize friction could be attached to the crank. 3G or suitably interposed between'said crank and i the'spro'cket 20. Also a suitablyshaped eccentric; member fast to the shaft 23 could be substituted fdr th'e crank 38, and the switch'3'l could be ac-. tuated' conourre'ntly to the engagement of the liand 'drivebym'eans operatively connected tothe sprocketfifl rather than to the shaft 23 as in the oase illustrated; l

r Can it is desired to re-engage the power drive, the ring-=l8 is withdrawn-from the hook 29; The

The two spring 25 pulls the lever 24 back to its operative position, the switch 31 is released, the spring 2| disengages the sprocket 20, and the whole device returnsi-teithe position illustrated'in- Figs. 2. and 3.

,Assmentionedi atithe beginning ofithisspeciflcation, auxiliary mechanisms of the type described in my Patent 2,390,117 could be embodied in the driving device herein described in the same manner in' which they are embodied in the driving-,device:described in the said patent. For this reason it has been thought unnecessary to showwi describe-therein such auxiliary mechanisms. Likewise, the gearing H which is of the same'type as the gearing shown in the same Patent 2,390,117 could be replaced by another gearing" or a dr'ivingor a-reduction' device? Substantiallymhis invention isonly concerned with-the driving connection between'th'e'motor l'9"onthe-. one hand and" the'chain 33 on the other' 'and the driven shaft 13.

While I 'havedescribed a preferred embodiment of my invention, it is understood that many" changes andmodificati'ons could be made therein with'outf'departing 'from' the spirit of the inventionoi exceeding the scope of the claims.

II In a driving mechanism for rolling doors, a driven shaft, transmission means'for operativelyconnecting said driven shaft to'a rollingdoorshaft, a pulley keyed to: said driven-shaft," anelectricmotor driving said pulley, a driving-wheel freeonsaid driven shaft "and displaceable thereon between an engaged position wherein it isdriv-' ingly'coupled'to said pulley and a disengaged position .wherein it is not so coupled, meansfor' manually rotatingsaid wheel, resilient means for normally maintaining said wheel in;its disengaged position, hand-operated means for.;overconiingsaid resilient'means to actuate said wheeli to its'engagedposition whereby to permit manual operation of the smechanism, means. for locking. said handop erated means, to maintain said wheel in' its, engaged position, switch means actuable to render saidlelectric motor inoperative, and means operatively associated with saidhand-op= eratedv means for maintaining said switch means actuated whilesaid wheel'is in its engaged 'posi-' tion.

2. In a driving mechanism for rolling doors, a driven shaft, transmission means for operatively connecting, said Ldriven shait.to a rolling door shaft, 2, pulleykeyed to said driven. shaft, an electrio motor drivingsaid pulley, a driving wheel free on said driven shaft and displaceable thereon, between an engaged'position whereinit is drivingly coupledto said pulley and adisengaged position wherein it is not so.coupled,,means for manually rotating said. wheel, resilient means for normally maintainingsaid wheel in its disengaged. position, a control shaft substantially, perpendicular. tofsaid driven shaft, hand-operated means for rotating said control shaft .to an angularly displaced, position,. an eccentric member.fast-tosaidcontrol shaft adjacent-said wheel, said member. whenisaid control shaft is so rotated engaging, said wheel and displacingthe sameftoits'engagedposition whereby to permit manual operation' of the mechanism, switch means}. actuable to render said electric motor, inoperative, and means operatively associated with said handeoperated means. for .maintaining' said switch means actuated while said"shaft' is, in'an-anguiarly displaced position.

-331In-a-rdriving=-"mechanism for rolling doors; a"driven* shaft? transmission means'fonopera tively connecting said driven shaft to a rolling door shaft, a pulley keyed to said driven shaft, an electric motor driving said pulley, a driving wheel free on said driven shaft and displaceable thereon between an engaged position wherein it is drivingly coupled to said pulley and a disengaged position wherein it is not so coupled, means for manually rotating said wheel, resilient means for normally maintaining said wheel in its disengaged position, a control shaft substantially perpendicular to said driven shaft and having a cranked portion adjacent said wheel, resilient means for urging said control shaft to a neutral position, hand-operated means for rotating said control shaft to an operative position thereby causing said cranked portion thereof to engage said wheel and force the latter to its engaged position to permit manual operation of the mechanism, means for locking said shaft in its operative position, switch means actuable to render said electric motor inoperative, and means operatively associated with said handoperated means for maintaining said switch means actuated while said control shaft is in its operative position.

4. In a driving mechanism for rolling doors, a driven shaft, transmission means for operatively connecting said driven shaft to a rolling ldoor shaft, a pulley keyed to said driven shaft, an electric motor driving said pulley, a driving wheel free on said driven shaft and displaceable thereon with respect to said pulley between a juxtaposed and a spaced position, clutch means for drivingly coupling said wheel to said pulley when said wheel is in said juxtaposed position, means for manually rotating said wheel, resilient means for urging said wheel to said spaced position, hand-operated means for actuating said wheel to said juxtaposed position, whereby to engage said clutch means and to permit manual operation of the mechanism, means for looking said hand-operated means to maintain said clutch means in engagement, switch means actuable to render said electric motor inoperative, and means operatively associated with said hand operated means for maintaining said switch means actuated while said clutch means are in engagement.

5. In a driving mechanism for rolling doors, a driven shaft, transmission means for operatively connecting said driven shaft to a rolling rd-001' shaft, a pulley keyed to said driven shaft, an electric motor driving said pulley, a driving wheel free on said driven shaft, at least one projection on the hub of said pulley, at least another projection on the hub of said wheel, resilient means for normally holding said pulley and wheel in spaced relationship, hand-operated means for displacing said wheel towards said pulley to a position wherein said projections drivingly couple said wheel to said pulley, whereby the mechanism may be manually operated, means for locking said hand-operated means to maintain said projections in mutual engagement, switch means actuable to render said electric motor inoperative, and means operatively associated with said hand-operated means for maintaining said switch means actuated while said projections are in mutual engagement.

6. In a driving mechanism for rolling doors,

a driven shaft, transmission means for operatively connecting said driven shaft to a rolling door shaft, a pulley keyed to said driven shaft, an electric motor driving said pulley, a driving wheel free on said driven shaft and displaceable thereon between an engaged position wherein it is drivingly coupled to said pulley and a disengaged position wherein it is not so coupled, means for manually rotating said wheel, resilient means for normally maintaining said wheel in its disengaged position, a control shaft substantially perpendicular to said driven shaft, an eccentric member fast to said control shaft adjacent said wheel, a lever fast to said control shaft, a resilient member attached to said lever for normally maintaining said control shaft in a neutral position, means for manually swinging said lever angularly to displace said control shaft, whereby to cause said eccentric member to engage said wheel and displace the same to its engaged position, means for releasably locking said lever in its swung position, switch means actuable to render said electric motor inoperative, said lever when in its swung position maintaining said switch means so actuated.

'7. In a driving mechanism for rolling doors, a frame, a driven shaft, transmission means for operatively connecting said driven shaft to a rolling door shaft, a pulley keyed to said driven shaft, an electric motor driving said pulley, a sprocket free on said driven shaft and axially slidable thereon, a chain for manually rotating said sprocket, at least one projection on the hub of said pulley facing said sprocket, at least one projection on the hub of said sprocket facing said pulley, spring means for normally maintaining said pulley and sprocket in spaced relationship thereby preventing engagement of said projections, a control shaft substantially perpendicular to said driven shaft, a cranked portion on said control shaft adjacent said sprocket, a lever fast to said control shaft, a spring attached to said lever and to said frame and normally maintaining said control shaft in a position wherein said cranked portion thereof is substantially perpendicular to said driven shaft, a flexible element attached to said lever for manually swinging this latter and therefore angularly displacing said control shaft whereby to cause said cranked portion of this latter to actuate said sprocket axially and force it to a position adjacent said pulley wherein said projections drivingly couple said sprocket to said pulley, hook means for releasably locking said lever in its swung position to maintain said driving coupling, and a switch actuable to render said electric motor inoperative, said lever when in its swung position actuating said switch.

NATHAN MICHELMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,096,251 Knight et al Oct. 19, 1937 2,110,231 McCloud Mar. 8, 1938 2,182,769 Van Riper Dec. 5, 1939 2,390,117 Michelman Dec. 4, 1945 

